College bound and current undergraduate, graduate, and veterinary students enrolled in a food animal agriculture curriculum at an institution that offers degrees in agriculture may apply for $177,000 in scholarships available from Targeting Excellence.

A total of $177,000 will be awarded in 2017 from the applications that are submitted. Scholarship amounts will be based on the program in which the student is enrolled:

$1,000 for 2-year programs

$2,000 for 4-year programs

$3,000 for graduate and veterinary programs

Preference will be given to students who attend schools in regions where fundraising events were held in 2016. The preference regions for 2017 awards are Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Limited awards as also available in Indiana and Wisconsin where Targeting Excellence is officially hosting 1st annual Sporting Clay Scholarship Classics in 2017. Additional consideration will be given to students who previously attended any Targeting Excellence event. Finally, preference will always be given to applicants with a desire to work in some aspect of food animal agriculture. Winners will be selected by a scholarship selection committee comprised of members of the Targeting Excellence Board of Directors and regional leaders involved in food animal agriculture.

Targeting Excellence president, David Funderburke, is passionate about the mission of organization and the significant impact that supporting students financially can have on the future of worldwide food security. He says, “As the economies of emerging nations improve and individual incomes increase, the consumption of protein (in the form of food animals) generally increases as well. Both the quantity and efficiency of the production of food derived from animals will need to improve to keep pace. Students trained in production practices, research scientists, and veterinarians working together will all play a critical role in helping meet the future demands that will be placed on food animal agriculture.”

Applications are being accepted through March 31, 2017. The organization will announce award winners on May 2, 2017, and checks will be mailed on September 1, 2017, once the students submit their enrollment verification for the Fall 2017 semester. The application and additional information is available online at the Targeting Excellence website or by emailing Rachel Virden.

Targeting Excellence is able to award the 2017 scholarships through the generous support of numerous corporate and individual sponsors as well as those who attended one of our five fund raising events in 2016. Click here for a full list of our 2016 sponsors.

Targeting Excellence was founded in 2013 with the vision, “To unite agribusinesses, production systems, and institutions of higher education in a common cause – to ensure the world’s food supply by providing scholarships for students committed to food animal agriculture.” The organization is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit with the IRS. For more information about submitting a Targeting Excellence scholarship application or making a donation, please visit our website or contact Rachel Virden.